On Monday, the 17th of September, Our Lady in the Icon of Czestochowa greeted Slovenia and bid farewell to the hospitable Hungarians. The head of the Hungarian Pro-Life Movement arrived with Our Lady in the Life Mobile and presented the Icon to the representative of the Slovenian Pro-Life Movement, Valentina Pikelj. The Hungarian flag on the Life Mobile was replaced with the Slovenian flag for the next five days.
In the morning, the bells rang out, greeting Our Lady in the beautiful, old Church of St. Catherine in Lendava - the capital of the Prekmurje region. The church was filled with Slovenians, as well as local Hungarians. The welcoming atmosphere was hotter from the hot springs, for which this area is famous.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist was presided by Bishop Emeritus Jožef Smej from the Archdiocese of Maribor (used to be Diocese of Lavant, suffragan of Salzburg, Austria). During his homily, the bishop stated that Mary is crying because of our sins against life. The representative of the Hungarian Pro-Life Movement, Imre Teglasy, bidding the Icon farewell, reminded that all - the clergy as well as the laity - should never be ashamed to speak publicly about God's law pertaining to fertility as well as God's command to be fruitful, to multiply, and to fill the earth.
During the celebration in the church, one of the mothers gave a personal testimony, saying that she prayed for two years to Our Blessed Mother in the Icon of Czestochowa for a child. She came this day to greet and thank Our Lady, carrying her two-month old son in her arms.
Afterwards, Our Blessed Mother left for Maribor, where She spent the evening, the night and the following morning at the Church of St. Janez Krstnik.